Where then are the spiritual oases for
the believer living in a dark and hostile world (1 Jn 5:18-19)? You already
know where they are; I am almost reluctant to say it, but I will as a matter of
course. Don’t take this as if I am being pedantic or condescending. What comes
to mind immediately are interacting intellectually and experientially with
special or supernatural revelation (God’s Word, learning about God and being
more like Him, being with Him, enjoying Him) and general or natural revelation
(God’s creation, appreciating the greatness and majesty of our God).
Besides the three oases: creation, OT,
and NT, the other two would be (4) having a right relationship with God in
fellowship and adoration and (5) worshipping and fellowshipping with other
believers in spirit and truth based on the truth of Scripture (2 Tim 3:16-17).
Found, within those oases for the soul, is everything you would expect: grace,
adoration, communion, prayer, praise, thankfulness, gratitude, giving,
fellowship, love, grace, restoration, love, joy, peace, comfort, et al.
The
cool thing about all of these oases is that they are not bound by geopolitics,
race, sex, social status, and other manmade barriers. Some intolerant ones
would like nothing better than to impose more filters, limits, sanctions, and
threats of persecution against the Gospel to silence and contain Christianity. 1
Jn 2:15 people do not help the cause of Christ. They give a false view of
Christianity.
Getting thirsty whenever the water is
off is an idiosyncrasy of mine. But does our soul really thirst for the living God
as a deer pants for the water brooks during a famine? Are we athirst for the
water that can only satisfy our soul facing the reality that we live in a
spiritually barren world (Psa 42:1-2)? If Jesus is in us, we know where the springs of life are; do we even have the
desire to seek such places given the allurements of the world competing for our
thirst? Thirsting for the wrong things as “followers” of Christ can muddy the waters of our identity.
It is one thing to “desire” and
another to drink. Some professing believers say they thirst for God but their
lives reveal a thirst-less life in a dry and thirsty land. You only have to
listen to them talk awhile to know where their heart truly is (Lk 6:45) –
traveling with a caravan of worldly thoughts in some dry gulch of the world. It
worries me when I see believers claiming to have drunk, but there is little
evidence of knowledge and understanding coming forth from their lips or life. Most
of the conversations at church are taken up with “I got this or that;” “I
did this or that;” “I went here or there;” or “How dare you judge me”… Do
you long to congregate around those who leave the world outside the doors of
the sanctuary for a brief repose from the consuming cares of the world and
speak of only Jesus?
Rather than, “I love your new dress,
Martha,” or “Yea, we just came back from a European cruise,” or “Our business
is really doing great,” or talking about their hobby or whatever. It seems we
are not caught up in the solemnity of the moment on why we are there at church,
only in stuff. In a place where you would expect more “Jesus” talk, it’s more
about catching up on social events in the lives of others (Don’t we use cell phones
during the week? Oh, there isn’t time to call; I get it. It is easier to wait and
find out at church.).
Ah, bah, humbug, I guess they put it
under the category of “fellowship.” Obviously, we don’t come to church with a
vow of silence, but we should come to a worship setting with our hearts and
minds transfixed on God, not being distracted by this or that or being caught
up in satisfying the curiosity about our neighbors and getting up to speed.
Ever hear the question after church, “Did you hear about so and so?” Usually,
it doesn’t make the weekly prayer list published by the church. Wouldn’t it be something
to have a published gossip list to pray about? It would accomplish nothing but
running people off and being ensnared with endless litigation.
But keeping things in the context of here
to worship Him who only is worthy, I suspect there is little to no spiritual
preparation for worship before church and little to no receptivity to the truth
during a worship service except for being caught up in the moment of the church,
and why is that? Because it is considered another activity, and that is how a
parent or parents with children project those kinds of values about the church to
their kids its importance to their lives; it’s just another activity.
No wonder the younger generations
question whether the church has relevance today. It’s not taught as a priority
with a higher purpose, a pleasure of the soul, a need for connecting with God and man, or a lifestyle that goes beyond the church grounds! The end result is that worship doesn’t take
place in the heart, and they leave the sanctuary just the way they came in,
unchanged by the opportunity of corporate worship. Rather than rising to the level of a participant in worship, they remained a spectator to be
entertained.
Should we be surprised by an attitude that the
church is viewed as optional (considered unnecessary until a crisis or a promotion
of a personal agenda) rather than an opportunity (for worship and fellowship)
when the church is viewed as just another activity of a thousand things to do
during the week? “Dad, do we have to?” The child cries out! “Shut up, Junior!
Get dressed and get in the car. We are leaving in five minutes!” Does this
sound familiar?
Sometimes we are upset and angry with
family members and put on a smile before others, but in such a spirit,
worship cannot take place. It’s best not to leave or turn around and go home
and try to do better next week. Boy, have I digressed? Look, those who thirst
after righteousness and hunger for it as a consuming passion are different (not
better than) spiritually and behaviorally than the herd.
If there is any spiritual wherewithal
within us, we can sense a difference in those who came from the watering hole
that springs life eternal. We quickly detect they have been with Jesus! There is
no restraining of God talk in the speech. His teachings proceed from their lips
and walk (cf. Acts 4:13, even the lost can see they are not like other men or
women). The truly thirsting soul is attracted to this person like a compelling
magnet. They are not like your run-of-the-mill believers in Jesus. We desire
such a spiritual condition in our own lives. Alas, it dawns on us; there is work
involved. We quickly assess that we are too busy for that notion, maybe
someday.
To drink from the well one has to drop
the bucket and draw it back up in order to drink. For many of us, the desire
only goes as far as dropping the bucket into the well; we hear the splash far,
far below, but rather than pulling it back up, we leave it buried in the deep,
dark waters for someone else to fetch. Satisfying a thirst takes a spiritual
muscularity that only the Holy Spirit can provide (cf. Jn 15:5), but it is only
in conjunction with our commitment to the drawing of the water to the surface! How
badly do we want to drink from the well of living waters?
Ignorance thrives in an effort-free
culture of easy believism, leaving the bucket for someone else to bring up and out
with the truth – no demands, no expectations, no obligations, no
accountabilities, and little to no sweat. Staying on the periphery and shooting
volleys of criticism at will is far easier than being up close and personal with
a collection of imperfect saints worshipping the Redeemer of their souls.
Rather than drinking from the well of
life freely, many are content with bottled water… convenient, contained,
shallow, and packaged by others. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Rom
10:17), but it takes more than simply listening (water bottling, cf. Jas 1:22) to be like Christ; it takes drawing from the deep well of the way, the truth, and the life! It makes demands of us to learn, love, and live the Word! More than hearing the splash of feeble effort, we need to taste
and see that the LORD is good with sweat dripping from our brow as we draw the living water toward us! Drop, draw,
drink, delight! Drop, draw, drink, delight! Drop, draw, drink, delight! Drop,
draw, drink, delight!
Such actions are quite the contrary to
the sit, soak, and scoot saints drinking caffè lattès, lifting of their arms
toward heaven while allowing the kids to play games on their electronic devices
as the preacher breaks forth truth from the pulpit. During the invitation, there
is an exodus to the exit doors in an attempt to beat the crowd at local restaurants
where the servers are treated like servants and poorly tipped for not going to
church!
And the Bible sits unopened the rest of the week in the house somewhere
until next Sunday or whenever the schedule permits the parents to return to
church with the kids to start the incredulous cycle of craziness all over
again. This is a scene of many who profess to be Christians today. Why is that
happening? It could be that these kinds of folk just ain’t thirsty. <><
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| To Part 4 |
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